Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a motion filed by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello seeking the release of his international passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Nwite held that the medical report submitted in support of the application was inadmissible, as it was not signed by its maker and therefore lacked legal weight.
“The defendant has failed to place sufficient material before this court for his passport to be released for him to travel. Consequently, this application is hereby refused,” the judge ruled.
Bello, who is currently standing trial on charges of alleged money laundering, had applied for the release of his passport on medical grounds. His counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), told the court that Bello has been hypertensive for the past 15 years and presented two exhibits—one being a medical report—to support the application.
However, the prosecution team opposed the request, arguing that the application was technically incompetent and amounted to an abuse of court process. They also pointed out that Bello’s sureties were not informed of the motion.
In his response, Justice Nwite dismissed the prosecution’s claim of abuse of process, noting that the defendant had complied with the requirement to seek leave of court, as stipulated in a prior ruling by the FCT High Court. He also ruled that there is no legal provision requiring the inclusion or notification of sureties in such applications.
Despite this, the judge concluded that the unsigned medical report rendered the application devoid of probative value.
The case has been adjourned to October 7, 10, and November 10, 11, 2025 for continuation of trial.
